Teaching with Literature & Multimedia

In exploring a given input, students study background information such as historical context and biographical information of the author/director/artist. Students use learned grammar to support their communication and are encouraged to analyze creatively and to focus on the message that they want to communicate. The notebook files to the right show the progression I use in presenting the Lorca poem referred to in the comment above.

When studying film, I rely on detailed documents that I have created that help students access film that would otherwise be difficult to comprehend. For each 5-10 minutes of film, students preview by reading pieces of dialogue that I've transcribed for them as well as vocabulary and comprehension questions that correspond to the given section. After watching the section, they answer the comprehension questions in pairs and then we share as a class. The same steps are repeated for the next 5-10 minute section of the film. In this manner, 20-30 minutes of film can be understood and discussed in a 70 minute class period. The evening's homework is to rewatch the same 20-30 minutes and to begin working towards thematic, technical and analytical interpretation. In addition, the second viewing allows for more profound language learning as students can watch with the confidence of already having understood what is happening. The above video is an example of analysis and interpretation from a beginning class (level 2) using the film "El norte" as foundation for discussion of immigration.

I have created packets for 15 movies, including the aforementioned documents, readings and short videos on historical context, director biographies, other previewing activities based on themes and a wide array of post-viewing and extension activities. I have the same types of "packets" and files for literature as well. To the right are examples of these files.